Drying apparatus



Nov. 29, 955 E. L. ZEHRBACH DRYING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 24, 1952 FIG. I.

INVENTOR EDGAR L. ZEHRBACH ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

N v- 1955 E. 1.. ZEHRBACH 2,724,905

DRYING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 24, 1952 Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES: INVENTOR *Z/Z i Q EDGAR L.ZEHRBAGH ATTO RN EY United States Patent 2,724,905 DRYING APPARATUS Edgar L. Ze hrbaeh, Mansfield, one, 'a'ssigndr to Westinghouse Electric'Corporation, East Pittsburgh, Eu, a corporation of lenns'y'lvaliia Application January 24, 1952, Serial 'No. 267,967 4 Claims. (c1. yr-7's My invention relates to apparatus for drying fabrics or the like, more particularly to a clothes drier of the domestic type, and has for :an object to provide im- .provedrapparatus-of this kind.

Another object of my invention is to provide -a clothes drier in which the drying air \is recirculated within the apparatus and not discharged into the surrounding air, {thus preventing the discharge of lint :and moisture into the'room in which thedrier is located. I

A further object of my invention is -to provide improved means for removing lint and moisture from the air circulated within the drier to ensure rapid and complete drying of the clothes.

These and other objects are effected by my invention -as will be apparent from the following description and claims taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisrapplication, in which: I I

Fig. 51 is a vertical section view of a domestic clothes =dr;ier constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention with portions broken-away for clear-mess; and

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the drier apparatus shown in Fig. 1 with the portion of the casing structure broken away. 7

Referring to the drawings wherein I have shown my invention as applied to a domestic clothes drier, the numeral =10 designates generally a cabinet structure having a front Wall 11 provided 'with an access opening 12. The latter is closed by a suitable cover-or-door 13 which may be removable or, if desired, hinged to the front .Wall '11 in any well understood manner. Disposed within the cabinet structure and supported in any suitable manner (not shown in detail for'the sake of brevity -and,-clearness is a casing structure generally indicated at 14. The casing structure 14 includes a.genera1ly;cy- ;li ndrical side wall section 15 and a front wall member 16 which may be joined to the side wall in any suitable manner such as by welding. The front wall portion 16 has formed therein a chute 17 which extends outwardly from the casing structure -14 and terminates ,in an access opening 18 in registry with the access opening 12 of the cabinet structure 10. The space between the casingchute 17 and the cabinet front wall 11 is closed by aflexible wall 19 constructed of rubber or suitable flexible plastic material. v

The rear end of the casing structure 14 is closed by a pair of spaced inner and outer wall members designated as 20 and 21, respectively. The wall members 20 and 21-areof dished construction and 'areassembled with their peripheral flanges 22 and 23 in engagement with each other and which are, in turn, secured 'tofa fi'an'ge 2 1 on the rear end of the casing side wall 15. The inner rear wall member '20 divides the casing structure :14 in't0a condensing chamber '2'5'and a drying chamber and has an opening 27 near its bottom edge which provides communication between the drying chamber 26 arid'the condensin'g'chamber25. I I

Within the "drying chamber '26, a basket structure 28 2,724,905 er e": 3 F

loading opening 32 which corresponds in size generally to the inner end-of thejchute 17'0f11h6 casing structure 14. The basket 28 is also provided with a plurality of tumbling vanes 33 which extend radi'all'y inwardly from the basket side wall 29. The basket 28 "is supported within the casing structure 14 by a shaft 34 secured to the basket "rear wall 35 and, j'ourr'nalled in bearings 36. The bearings 36 are mounted in 'a bearing retaining sleeve 36a=carried by the casing rear wall members 20 and v21. The basket 28 is rotated by a inot'or,-37 supported on the casing structure .14 by a bracket 38. As shown, the drive mechanism :com'prises a :pulley 39 mounted "on the shaft of motor 37 and belted to a sheave 40 on :the basket shaft-s i.

During the operation of my "improved, apparatus, the drying air is continually recirculated within the apparatus. To effect circulation of the air, there is provided a blower 41 which is supported %on the easing structure 14 by bracket 42. The "blower '41 is driven by the motor 37 through a drive system which will hereinafter be described. The inlet :to the blower 41 is connected to a "duct structure '43 which communicates with an outlet opening 44 in an upper portion of the outer Wall member 21 of the casing structure 14. The outlet of blower 41 is connected to a second duct structure 45 which extends upwardly along :the casing side wall 15 and communicates with an opening -46jin the upper .portion of th'echute 17. Disposed within thezduct structure 45 is an electric heating element 47 which may be energized from any suitable source of power, not shown, for heating the air passing through theduct structure 45.

For removing lint and moisture'from the air flowing through the condensing chamber 25, I have provided a water spray means indicated generally at 48, which consists of a water inlet conduit 49 to which is secured 'a discharge nozzle 50 for injecting a stream of water into the condensing chamber :25 through an opening 51 in an upper portion of the casing wall member 21. The stream of water issuing :from noz'zle 50 impinges upon a splash plate 52 mounted within-the condensing chamber '25 and is broken up into affine spray which directly contacts and cools the warm air I'pa'ssing upwardly through the condensing chamber 25. Accordingly, -vapor contained in the air is condensed and precipitates to the lower portion of the condensing chamber. At "the same time, the spray produced by the splash plate 52 washes the air in the condensing chamber and carries lint which has been picked up by the air in passing through the dryirfg chamber 26 down into "the bottom of "the condensing chamber 25. Disposed within the drying chamber "25 is a bafile 54 which directs the warm air entering the eondensirrg chamber 23 through the :inlet opening '27 away from the outlet openingfi l'andtoward the sp'ra'y produced by the spray iiie'ans 18. v I I A's shown in Fig. 1, a portion 53 'of the back wall member 21 is "struck outwardly in forming opening "51 through which Water is admitted to the condensing chamher. This struck 'outportion acts as a funnel to catch any water which may drip from nozzle 50 once the "apparatus is shut oil? and directs t his water into "the cond'e'nsing chamber rather than allowing it to fall "on the usefis floor. e v v I g I The mixture bf water andlin't which lias l bee'n 'ren d "e'd "from the air in the condensing chamber 25 flows through opening 27 into a sump 55 in the lower portion of the Operation The operation of my improved clothes dryer is as follows. Fabrics in a damp condition as they come from a wringer or a centrifuge of a washing machine are dropped through the access opening 12 and are guided by the chute 17 into the interior of the basket 28, after which the cover 13 is actuated to its closed position. The electric heater 47 is energized by a suitable switch mechanism (not shown) for imparting heat to the casing structure 14 and the air within the drying chamber. The motor 37 may be energized simultaneously with the heater 47 or its operation may be delayed until the air within the drying chamber is heated to an optimum drying temperature. A suitable control mechanism for the heater and motor is disclosed and claimed in Patent No. 2,398,880, issued April 23, 1946, to F. I. Broglie and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

Operation of the motor 37 initiates the rotation of the basket 28, as described heretofore and the circulation of air by the blower 41 is also initiated. Air passing through duct structure 45 picks up heat from the heating element 47 and thereafter passes into the drying chamber 26 wherein the fabrics are being tumbled within the rotating basket 28. As the heated air has a high capacity for absorbing moisture, the fabrics are progressively dried. The air, after passing through the fabrics, passes through the openings 30 in the basket side wall and flows through opening 27 into the condensing chamber.

During the tumbling of the fabrics, especially when nearly dry, considerable lint is dislodged from the fabrics and is picked up by the circulating air stream. This lint, as well as the moisture picked up by the air in passing through the fabrics, must be removed from the air prior to its being recirculated through the fabrics. For this purpose, the water spray means 48 for washing and drying the air is provided within the condensing chamber 25. This cold water spray lowers the temperature of the moisture laden air, causing the moisture therein to condense out in the form of droplets which fall to the bottom of the condensing chamber. This condensed moisture, as well as the sprayed water, catch and carry away the small particles of lint carried in suspension in the air stream. It will be noted that nearly all of the surfaces of the condensing chamber walls are generally vertical so that any lint or moisture which collects on these walls will gravitate to the bottom of the chamber or be washed off by the water sprayed by the means 48.

The resulting mixture of lint and water which collects in the bottom of the condensing chamber 25 flows back through opening 27 into the sump portion 55 of the casing 14 from which it is discharged to a drain by the pump 57.

The air thus cleaned and dried, flows over the upper end of bafiie 54 in the condensing chamber and through opening 44 into the duct structure 43. The blower then forces this air through duct 45 where it is heated and discharged into the drying chamber where the cycle is repeated.

While I have shown my invention as applied to a domestic clothes drier, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the arrangement of drying and condensing chambers and the associated duct structure is equally applicable to machines of the so-called combined washer and dryer variety. The illustrated apparatus could be converted for use as a combined washer and drier by the addition of a conventional two-speed drive mechanism for the basket 28 and means for admitting water to the chamber 26 during washing, all of which is well understood in the art.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that I have provided an improved clothes drier of the domestic type wherein the lint and moisture usually separated from the fabrics in apparatus of this kind are revented from circulating to the surrounding atmosphere. It will further be apparent that I have provided a novel and easily assembled condensing and lint removal chamber for apparatus of this type which is capable of thoroughly cleaning and drying air recirculated through the system.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus for drying fabrics or the like, the combination of a generally cylindrical casing having a front wall member provided with an access opening therein and a pair of spaced rear wall members providing a chamber therebetween, the inner rear wall member having an opening in the lower portion thereof establishing an air path between the interior of said casing and said chamber, a basket for containing the fabrics to be treated and disposed within said casing, means carried by said pair of rear wall members for rotatably supporting said basket, a motor, means driven by the motor for rotating said basket about its axis for tumbling the fabrics, duct means communicating at one end with an upper region of said chamber and at its other end with the interior of said casing, air circulating means within said duct means for withdrawing air from said chamber and discharging the air into said casing, heating means disposed in said duct means for heating the air prior to its entry into said casing, means for spraying cold water into said chamber to remove moisture and lint from the air flowing therethrough, the water and lint thereafter flowing through the opening in said inner wall member into said casing, and a drain positioned in the lowermost region of said casing for removing lint and water from said casing.

2. In apparatus for drying fabrics or the like, the combination of a casing having a drying chamber formed therein an including a generally cylindrical sidewall and a double end wall structure, said end wall structure enclosing an annular condensing chamber and having a passage providing communication between lower regions of the drying and condensing chambers, air circulating means for withdrawing air from a second region of the annular condensing chamber and discharging the air into said drying chamber, water spray means disposed in a zone of the annular condensing chamber intermediate the passage and the second region of the condensing chamber and a bathe in the annular chamber for compelling air admitted through said passage to pass through said zone prior to flowing into the said second region of said condensing chamber.

3. In apparatus for drying fabrics or the like, the combination of a generally cylindrical casing structure having an access opening in the front end thereof and having a drying chamber formed therein, said casing structure including spaced end wall members defining an annular condensing chamber disposed to the rear of said drying chamber, said casing structure having an inlet opening in the lower portion of its inner rear wall member providing communication between lower regions of said drying and condensing chambers, said casing structure further having an outlet opening in its outer rear wall member angularly spaced from the opening in said inner wall member, air circulating means communicating with the outlet opening in said outer wall member for withdrawing air from said condensing chamber and discharging the air into said drying chamber, a baffle positioned within said annular condensing chamber between said inlet and outlet openings for directing the circulated air through an arcuate portion of the chamber and means positioned in 'said arcuate portion of the chamber for spraying cooling Water in the circulated air.

4. In apparatus for drying fabrics, the combination of a generally cylindrical casing enclosing a drying chamber and having an access opening formed in the front end thereof, said casing including spaced wall members at the rear end thereof for defining a condensing chamber at the rear of the drying chamber, means providing communication between lower portions of said drying and condensing chambers, a perforate basket disposed within the drying chamber for rotation about a generally horizontal axis and having an access opening in registry with the access opening of the casing, a shaft for rotating the basket, bearings carried by said spaced wall members for supporting the shaft, means for translating air from an upper region of the condensing chamber to the drying chamber, means for heating the air prior to its delivery in the drying chamber, means for spraying cooling water into the air traversing the condensing chamber for the removal of moisture and lint from the air and means for conveying water and lint carried thereby from the casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,108,084 Strobridge Feb. 15, 1938 2,451,692 Pugh Oct. 19, 1948 2,453,859 Pugh Nov. 16, 1948 2,555,821 Smith June 5, 1951 2,607,209 Constantine Aug. 19, 1952 2,619,736 Geldhof Dec. 2, 1952 

